Save Article

Unions Contest Move to Close Rhode Island State Offices

Labor unions are challenging the Rhode Island governor's plan to shut down the state government for 12 days in an effort to narrow a $68 million budget deficit.

Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri has called on the state's 13,000 employees to skip work without pay, calculating that the state would save $1.4 million for each day without government. The first of the planned 12 nonconsecutive shutdown days, spread over the next nine months, is scheduled for Friday.